FOLLOWING Sunday’s report by popular online news blog, saharareporters.com on the health situation of the
wife of Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, conflicting accounts of the state of her health continue to dominate regular news outlets and the social media.
Mrs. Jonathan was reported to have been evacuated out of the country by air ambulance on a few days ago, following what was reported to be a bad case of food poisoning.
The report comes amid denials by presidential spokesman Reuben Abati, who said that there was no truth to the report that Mrs. Jonathan suffered any such ailment.
A spokesperson to the first lady, Mr. Ayo Osinlu, said in a statement that she only traveled out of town to take a ‘moment’s rest,’ after having been on the move supporting her husband role as president since 2010.
“If you look at her itinerary in August, you will be wondering how she was able to accomplish that,” he said. “In the course of this week she will be back home. But remember, it all depends on her plans,” Mr. Osinlu said.
But reporting on the issue on Sunday evening, saharareporers.com said the first lady had been evacuated through the use of an air ambulance that transported her to Winsbarden, Germany, where she is said to be have been undergoing treatment for her condition for at least 4 days now.
Further details of the first lady’s state of health were brought to light again later in the day on Sunday, saying her food poisoning condition began after a trip to Dubai, where she had allegedly gone to seek medical attention for a twitching of one of her hands.
According to the report by SaharaReporters.com, “Her visit to Dubai was explained as a vacation but our sources said it involved a medical procedure, while in Dubai, she reportedly had “food poisoning” alongside her medical doctor, soon after she returned to Abuja last Monday, the emergency broke and she had to be airlifted to Wiesbaden, Germany for food poisoning.
Although general observers and commentators in Nigeria are wishing the first lady well, they have continue to bemoan the state of healthcare delivery in Nigeria, noting how important figures and their families are evacuated out of the country for the best of healthcare in other countries while the majority continue to grapple with the failed healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
“So the woman has ordinary stomach ache or whatever they call it, and her handlers are confronted by the reality that in the entire country of Nigeria, there is no health institution good enough to take care of her? Doesn’t that tell us something?” asked a political commentator who wishes to remain anonymous in a telephone chat with sharpedgenews.com on Sunday.
“It speaks to the state of healthcare delivery in Nigeria, that people have to be evacuated for even the most basic types of illnesses – it means the average citizen, who cannot afford the luxury of being airlifted out of the country for medical attention is on his own!”, the caller from Abuja added.
Indeed many of the people from Nigeria’s political class, particularly those in powerful positions in government routinely travel abroad for medical attention.
Late President Umaru Yar’Adua died after several years of traveling abroad for medical treatment, the last of such travels being to Saudi Arabia.
In recent years, at least two Nigerian first ladies died while in the care of foreign medical institutions, including the late wife of Nigeria’s former military president Ibrahim Babangida, Mrs. Maryam Babangida. Before then, Stella Obasanjo, wife of former President Obasanjo, died while undergoing treatment for surgery in Spain.
Other African leaders, too often travel abroad for medical care. Two African leaders – Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia and John Atta Mills of Ghana – died after they sought medical treatment for their illness in foreign countries.